Gundam: Duos
by AstraI Dragon
Summary: Even though its been long past the official war, conflict and fighting still continue in the year 67 AD, or After Division. However, a discovery within the asteroid belt sparks a new conflict. Tension between the Earth Federation, and the Independent Colony Coalition is rising, and with children, freedom fighters, and all others caught in the middle. (SYOC, Original story)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Wake Up

Deep Orbit Colony: Orion

Medical Facility Astra

"Confirming the results of the two lifeforms in the pod" one of the doctors confirmed as a stasis pod was lifted down into the chamber. It was old and dented, but it still appeared active. There was also glass, and inside was a large amount of bio-liquid, along with two small bodies of boys, both naked.

"Are they still alive?"

"Confirmed. Where the hell did they find this relic?"

"Some old ship scavenged in the asteroid belt. They say it was over one hundred years old" another doctor pointed out.

"So these kids are well older then us then?"

"Not only that, it looks like heavy nanite surgery was done to them, either while inside the pod or before then. Both of them have Alaya-Vijana systems implanted, as well as some unfamiliar Neural Linking technology".

"But why were they brought here, to this place?" a scientist asked. Indeed, they were not hte type of doctors who normally helped children or worked in the public eye. They were specialists, to help design and assist Gundam pilots, among dirtier work as well.

"They want the two questioned, and then we are allowed to make use of them as we see fit. There is no paper trail for them, so they could make suitable research subjects".

"Questioned? About what?"

"Among the items found in their ships were mobile suits of an unfamiliar design, not in any database. Some rumors are spreading about what they are, even a ridiculous rumor that one of the mobile suits is a Gundam Frame".

"Ha. Like that would happen".

"Either way, the higher ups want them revived, questioned, and then disposed of. Probably plan to send the whole thing to some shadow unit or the like".

"I see...better get to work then. Should I fetch something for them to wear?"

"Why bother? They wont be around long enough to need them, and we dont have anything child sized in stock anyways. Plus, it might leave a trail".

"Understood. I will just get some blankets then. The debriefing room is already prepared for you with the other prisoner, so you may want to conclude that though before you bring them in".

"Excellent. Get Security Chief Willows, let us begin immediately while you begin the revival process".

"Understood. Beginning revival process now, they should be awake by the time you are done".

* * *

"Well well, looks like you have gotten yourself into quite a bit of trouble" the lead doctor, Doctor Yamagi, mentioned as he walked in with Security Chief Willows. Across the table, restrained to a chair, was a woman in her early twenties.

"So, what group are you from? Why did you try to infiltrate the central security base for this colony? Did you come from the Independent Colony Coalition? Or maybe you are from one of the pirate groups? Or perhaps, Red Justice?"

"Maybe...but maybe, they could be bothersome Freesky remnants".

At the mention of Freesky, she seemed to have a visible facial reaction.

"So, its Freesky...but, why would Freesky try to infiltrate the colony security base..."

"Well, to be honest..." she finally spoke, a grin appearing on her face. "I was looking for this place".

In that moment, she got up, breaking out of the restraints that appeared to have been loosened somehow, and threw the chair into Willows. She quickly rolled over and kicked Yamagi in the gut, throwing him back into the wall, before taking Willows gun quickly from the ground. Willows managed to get up though, and she tried to punch the intruder in the face with a quick right hook. The woman ducked down though, and jumped up while doing an uppercut, dealing sufficient enough damage to knock her unconscious. At that same moment, an explosion rocked the entire facility.

She quickly raised her foot, and took a communication device out of a secret compartment and put it in her ear. "This is Hawk, contacting Crow. How close are you?"

"Crow here. Looks like the info was good. We quickly took out the light security, and the facility is vulnerable. Get whatever data you can, and see if you can find a valuable Mobile Suit or two. Im heading to you now".

"I heard while I was pretending to be captured that they got some big cargo. Ill go check it out, meet me there".

"Understood".

Sending some data about the structure she got already, they decided to head over and meet up there. Luckily, finding the central lab was not so difficult. As the central lab, it was purposefully made to be easy to access from other areas of the facility so they could quickly get anything they needed in the other room. Because of that, they were not only able to easily meet up, but they entered quickly.

"Ah, good doctor, we have just started the final...wait, who are you?!"

As he turned around, he realized it was not Doctor Yamagi, but instead two intruders. That was when the woman looked over, and saw the two boys inside the pod, seemingly in some sort of medical stasis.

"You guys really are sick. Doing this to children?"

"Now now, hold on! We just found them like this! We were just reviving them!"

As he said that, the pod began to react to the revival command, and the liquid was drained back into the pod as the various tubes and things connected to their bodies at various points detached. They seemed to start coughing as they rolled out, their bodies lain across the floor. One of the people in the room pulled out a gun and moved towards the children, likely thinking they might make a good hostage or meat shield, but she shot the man in the arm and he staggered back, his gun dropping to the floor.

"Nobody move" she mentioned, but then the storming of boots could be heard in the background.

"Tsk. I guess their internal security is more organized then we though, even with the diversionary attack up top they are still sending people here".

"You wont be able to escape now. You better give up or...ahk?!"

Suddenly, the doctor was shot in the leg, but not by Hawk or Crow, but rather it was by one of the boys who had picked up the dropped gun, with a sort of angry sinister look on his face.

"What was that you said you would do to us exactly again? Don't think we will be letting you get away with that one".

"What I said..what do you..."

"...dispose of them once we are done questioning them, maybe use them as test subjects, I think it was, right Yuki?"

"R-right, Azo".

"But...wait, how do you..."

"I wont let you hurt Yuki" Azo mentioned, as he shot the man through the chest. When he tried to get up however, he found it difficult to stand up or walk at all. Using the distraction, the other guard tried to take out his weapon, but Hawk and Crow shot them.

"Damn...Yuki?"

"Its because of spending a long time in stasis. We must have been in there a long time".

At those comments, Crow came over and quickly put both of them over each shoulder.

"Sorry we cant find a blanket or something to cover you up, but you just gotta hold on".

"Still, its going to be tough getting through security with just the two of us".

"There should be a hanger bay down below with mobile suits" Yuki mentioned.

"How do you know that? Were you aware while in stasis?"

"Vaguely. Its a long story. But we need to get down there. We wont be able to win with the kind of numbers they will likely send as we are, but mobile suits will help".

"Great. Its a good thing I know how to pilot them, so long as its a model I am familiar with".

"Well, if they were the Gundams on the ship we were on, we know how".

"Seriously?"

"Its a long story, so just get going!"

* * *

As they headed down, they heard gunfire behind them, likely the Federation right on their six. Azo had regained some feeling in his legs and left arm, but his right arm was fully awake now. Yuki meanwhile was a bit slower, but he was currently able to use his left arm reasonably well. it had only been a few minutes, but it appeared they were resilient and adaptive.

As they moved forward though, they quickly found the hanger bay in question. Not only were there a few mobile suits being studied, but it looked like there was even a whole ship there that could be piloted.

"Ah, it looks like they fixed up the ship too".

"Don't tell me you also know how to pilot that thing as well".

"Well, we were raised in it. So yes".

"Raised on it...oh, I see. That makes sense then".

For children who are raised on space stations and space ships, there are three things they are taught the moment they can read and write, maybe even before then. And that is the systems of the ship. How to repair it. How to spot issues on it. How to close emergency bulkheads and the fastest way to put on space suits. And if the ship carried Gundams, it was also likely they were taught how to use them to deal with emergency debris at a young age.

If they were raised on a ship, their knowledge base suddenly made a lot of sense.

"How easy are the controls?"

"Simple. If they were stupidly complex, a single mistake could be disasterous after all".

"Fantastic...because I have never seen those Mobile Suit designs before" he mentioned, looking over at them.

"Carry me and Yuki to them, we can make it run".

Crow scowled for a moment, but then gave a sigh.

"Wait, are you serious?"

"Someone needs to boot up the ship, and I dont recognize any of the mobile suits. And I am not a fresh bird like you, im used to my ways. So I will start up the ship...any of the mobile suits best for you two?"

"That one" Azo mentioned, pointing out a large frame in the center. It looked a bit old, but then again, they all did. He quickly ran over to it while carrying them, went up the support stairs, and looked into the cockpit.

_Hold on...isn't this a bit small?_ he thought to himself as he lowered the two of them in. As he did that, the security forces of the Federation came charging into the hanger.

"Wait, you both are going to pilot...eh?"

"Yeah, we are! Yuki, right now, just sit on top of me" Azo mentioned. "Now quickly, we will hold them off with Hawk while you get the ship started. Make sure you get the hanger bay powered as well as the I-Field".

"Right..." he said, as he saw Yuki sit sidewise on top of Azo's lap. Which might have only been a bit embarrassing, but they were both still naked, but neither of them seemed to mind. Azo had black hair, while Yuki had white, and they certainly did not look like brothers for other reasons, so he figured they must have been good friends. They did share a stasis pod after all.

And with that, he closed up the hatch and ran towards the ship.

"Here, take this Yuki" Azo said, passing him a data tablet while he activated the reactor. As he powered everything on, something else activated inside...a Haru robot.

"Chichi! You are here!"

"Master Azo, Master Yuki!"

"Chichi, help boot up systems and link us to the Dauntless!"

"Understood! Just so you know, there are spare spacesuits in the back..."

"We dont have time to get dressed. Enemy attack!"

"Understood! Booting up Link! Is your Alaya System connected?"

"Confirmed! Induce Second Link!"

Suddenly, he could feel his mind connecting with the data system through his implanted Neural Link.

"Now! Link Start!"

"Right! Link Start!"

Both of them said that at the same time.

"Haru, Yuki is still not at one hundred percent, so please send all of his data through his Neural Link and assist with functions he cant do at the second chair".

"Understood!"

Yes, in that mobile suit, there was not one pilot seat, but two...which is probably why its name was...

""Gundam Duos! Ready for launch!""

And over the comms, both Hawk, who was activating a different mobile suit that only had one pilot seat, and Crow who was powering up the ship, both reacted with shock.

"Wait...did they say Gundam?!"

"Gundam...Duos?!"

One of the soldiers there quickly took out a heavy personal Anti-Mobile Suit weapon, a Hand Railgun, and immediately fired at the Gundam Duos.

"Activating Shield!" Yuki mentioned, controlling the various extra equipment and gear. "Azo, I have Beam Swords and Beam rifle powered up already. Also have the micro blasters".

"We are dealing with a swarm. Fire the micro blasters for me".

"Eh? Your having me do the heavy fighting?"

"Not quite" Azo mentioned, as he looked over at the opening hanger bay door. Another mobile suit was coming out...but it was one he did not recognize. It looked like something heavy and frontline though, and it was painted green, for what that was worth. "I am handling the big guy".

As he said that, he pulled out both of his beam swords. Crow couldn't help but chuckle.

"The kid has a battle sense. That thing is the new Tartaros Heavy Defender. Ranged weaponry is far less effective against it compared to melee combat, although an actual sword would be better then a beam sword".

"Is that so? You know hte comm line is still open right?" Azo mentioned.

"Ah, right...ship is almost ready to go".

"Cool. Anyways...physical sword huh? Yuki?"

"Its...not equipped. Must be stored in the hanger bay".

"Understood. THen we will jsut have to make do!"

"Moderating Thrusters for ideal speed and approach!"

"Raaaaaahg!" Azo shouted as he charged forward towards the Gundam that was in the way, and sliced right through the armor, though he was not able to reach the main arm systems.

"Wait, with one cut?"

Hawk meanwhile took out some reinforcements, now that she got her own Mobile Suit working. "I don't think we should let them get their hands on any of these mobile suits. I am going to load them up in the hanger".

"Understood. I will bring the ship's weapons online to assist".

"And we got the big guy!"

Once again, the beam sword was able to dig in real deep to the armor, and he was wielding two of them so he was able to keep continuous attacks on him.

_How are they doing that...its like every time Azo attacks, the blade modulates itself to focus its energy on the impact area...unless, wait...could it be..._

Normally, a mobile suit pilot could not do that during battle, but the Gundam Duos was special in that it had a second set of controls. Crow was roughly able to understand now why that was. Azo was the one in charge of controlling the main unit, but Yuki would operate, monitor, and adjust all the equipment. On their own, they couldn't do much, but they were working as a team. Even if they spoke out loud, there was not enough words getting through...unless...

"I see...the Neural Links. They are telepathically connected or something like that through the Neural Links".

With this, Azo was able to cut right through the armor, and Yuki monitored their surroundings. He deployed two defensive drones that created their own shields and attacked anyone who took out PAM weapons, or Personal Anti-Mobilesuit Weapons.

As Azo took out the final armor, Crow then gave the signal.

"Everything is loaded up. Get back in the hanger, we are getting out of here!"

"Understood!"

"Rodger that!"

The Gundam Duos activated its thrusters and flew back towards the ship, heading into the hanger right as Crow sealed it up.

"Would you like to put the spacesuits on now?"

"Technically yes, but first..." Azo said, sniffing them both. "We need a bath. Stasis liquid is gross".

"Rodger that!"

Meanwhile, Crow was piloting the ship out as Hawk got on deck.

"Where are hte other two?"

"Taking a bath and then getting on new clean clothes. To be honest, you should prefer it this way...that stasis liquid was over one hundred years old and they were soaked in it".

"That bad?"

"I think the only reason it didn't bother them was because they were encased in it for one hundred years, because they smelled like a skunk. How were you able to carry them like that?"

"Im an old man, my sense of smell was dull. Plus, gunfire probably helped us not notice".

"So, can we escape in this old ship?"

"Yeah, their dock was located outside the colony, not inside, probably for secrecy, and no one was there. That said, we will probably have pursuers soon, but it looks like this thing has a stealth mode. I already engaged it".

"So it really is that easy to pilot?"

"Im not the best pilot, so people could probably fly this thing even better then me, but...yeah. I suppose they did have a point when they said that if it was too complex, it would be stupid".

"Yeah...that said, what did you think of them? Those kids?"

"I think they were likely meant to be used as child soldiers, human debris or the like".

"You sure?"

"Aside from having the Alaya-Vijana system, they had Neural Links. From the data I pulled up, you need this special Neural Link implanted to operate the Gundam Duos. It looks like it is possible to operate by a single person, and beign a Gundam, its quite formidable. But the addition of a second chair, of someone able to link with you and moderate the systems, makes it far more terrifying. It means one can focus solely on offense, while their partner backs them up and enhances their abilities".

"If Mobile Suits can be more effective this way, then why has no one else tried it?"

"The size...the bigger the cockpit, the less armor can protect it. However...both of those control chairs were child sized".

"So then, the Gundam Duos..."

"It was likely built for them in mind, or they were built for it. It looks like they had every treatment ever concieved of or developed by mankind to operate Mobile Suit Frames. That said, their Alaya Vijana treatment was designed to be small and easy to miss, and apparently it can even retract inside the body so it looks like a normal back. Thats way more detail and quality then one would normally put into a system like that. So these kids were not some expendable child soldiers, but more like an experiment, id say".

"You would say?"

"Well keep in mind, most of htis is theory and conjecture, but it appears that they were specifically designed to be the most effective mobile suit pilots".

"But wont their be issues when they grow up?"

"Iv been going through the records, and from my guess, it looks like they were genetically modified as well. To have increased mental abilities, possibly even Newtype abilities, but...their growth hormones and such have also been disabled. Most likely, ten to twenty years later, they will roughly look the same maybe, with this sort of extensive work. Effort, money, and time were put into their creation. More then likely, they were trained and put towards a very strong ideology...and wont submit to anyone they don't want to. Isn't that right Azo?"

At those words, Hawk and Crow turned around, and saw Azo and Yuki there. Yuki seemed a bit more nervous, but Azo was mercilessly pointing a gun at them. Both of them had gotten dressed, and were now wearing spacesuit, Azo's being white and red, and Yuki's being white and blue.

"You were expecting us? Well, you do seem pretty smart".

"I take it the reason you have not shot us yet is because we earned at least some good will, saving you and all?"

"Well, yeah. Plus a little bit more because you recovered all of our stuff. Chichi?"

"Control of the ship is now mine, Master Azo and Master Yuki!"

A Haru drone announced that as it rolled on in.

"Then why the gun?"

"Because people dont go raiding a facility like that without a plan, and there were also explosions going on. Which means, the facility was being attacked by people outside right? Yet you never introduced or mentioned them to us, not really".

"Heh. Relax, it wasn't some sort of trap. They had their own escape route, and we are set to meet up later. Believe it or not, we are the good guys".

"Excuse me if I don't believe you just because you say so".

That was when Yuki tugged on his sleeve.

"But, Azo...they clearly believe that. You can sense it too, right?"

"Just because they believe it doesn't mean they are in the right" Azo mentioned, keeping himself between them and Yuki. "I want to know, what organization do you belong to? What do you believe in? How do you view human life? Why were you raiding that facility?"

"Very well. We belong to an organization known as Freesky, people who believe that everyone should be allowed to freely exist. We oppose the governments, both the Federation centered around Earth and the colonies they control, as well as Independent Colony Coalition, both of which have various corrupt officials in it who have been authorizing and using illegal human experimentation to bolster their soldiers, and even making use of child soldiers, as well as any corporation that does the same. Believe it or not, we are the good guys, though as a result we have to stay in hiding".

Azo looked at Yuki, who nodded. "They are telling the truth. At the very least, they believe what they are saying".

"I see...sounds like a lot has changed since we fell asleep. What year is it?"

"It is 67AD".

"...what?"

"Sorry, that means After Division, not the old thing. It represents the Division that happened at the end of the war between Earth and the outer colonies".

"Ah, I see...so its been quite a while then, since we have no recollection of that war".

"My guess is you guys were asleep for at least one hundred years".

"No wonder I feel drowsy. Its not good to oversleep".

"...do we really still need the gun, Azo?"

"It would be nice not to be a gunpoint".

"Hmmmm" Azo said, staring at him, and then Yuki. "One thing first. Chichi?"

"Command codes accepted. The ship will now acknowledge your authority. All Haru units are now active!"

As he said that, about a dozen of them rolled onto the bridge.

"Very good. Well, it seems that your okay, so we wont have to kick you off the ship. But understand, this is my ship, and me and Yuki will only do what we want to, understood?"

"Thats fine...may I ask, what do you fight for then?"

"Whatever I believe is right".

"Freedom and Justice!"

"Also, Azo fights for Yuki's happiness and freedom! Azo loves Yuki, and Yuki loves Azo!" Chichi chimed in, causing Azo to go red with emarrassment.

"Chichi! Don't tell them such things, especially like that! They will misunderstand!"

"Wh-what are you saying Chichi! We are like brothers!"

"Yeah!"

"Right...pleasure to be working with you".

"We didn't say anything yet!"

"Come on Azo, it seems like fun, and we cant just wander around space since we have been away for over one hundred years!"

"...fine. But remember, this is my ship".

"Got it".

"Sounds fair".

* * *

"So they lost the children, the ship, and the mobile suits, did they?" Earth Federation Admiral Giovani questioned over the comms in an irritated way.

"Yes sir. It was right before our teams were finally able to confirm the identity of one of the mobile suits, apparently its name is the Gundam Duos".

"Damn it...Gundams are not just expertly built mobile suits, they are practically symbols, always showing up at turning points in history. For another Gundam to appear now, had we captured it and made use of it, my ascension to the position of Head Admiral would have been assured".

"Furthermore, it appears they have some kind of stealth system, because the ship disappeared from our sensors far too early. However, we believe the culprits might have been Freesky".

"Freesky, huh? Those damned idealists, believing in an ideal future that we can never truly afford. Real peace requires sacrifice, if it didn't we would have been united long ago".

"So what are our orders sir? According to the reports, the Gundam Duos cockpit is too small. Only the two children recovered seem to be ideal pilots".

"Oh come now, we have our own super soldier program don't we? Begin making preparations. I want to capture the Gundam Duos, and if those brats wont work for us, we will just get some new brats. A mobile suit with two pilots...I can only imagine what reasons it would have for that. But we must act quickly, before any of those terrorist or pirate groups get wind of this, or worse, the Independent Colony Coalition".

"Understood!"

"Oh...and send Sura after them. She is a bit psycho, but...we will need her strength if we are to fight against a Gundam, even if its piloted by mere brats".

And so, the tides of fate began to move as forces reacted to the start of something grand.

* * *

So, im still working on a sheet, but if you can provide plenty of detail for your character and make your own sheet, that should be fine. Also, if you want to work with someone else to submit a pair of characters for a spare Duos system, that is also fine. However, before you make the actual sheet, please PM me asking for the various relevant information, such as details on whatever faction you want to join. Please note though that currently only that ship contains any Duos Models, and that they have been constructed with smaller pilot chambers, so large characters cannot pilot them.

That said, this is taking place after various series such as Iron Blooded Orphans and others (Not sure how many I could get away with), so feel free to include various technology introduced from all the various shows. Though, keep in mind that Iron Blooded Orphans mobile suits have larger armor and durability with all the melee combat they get into. Meanwhile, various lost technology (such as Trans-AM) needs a reason for you to have it. You can however create new technology as well, so long as its balanced.

Hope you enjoy!

UPDATE: Here is a Character Sheet! Sorry for the wait!

Name:

Nicknames:

Age:

Gender:

Species/Origin:

Appearance:

Mobile Suit Type and Model:

Mobile Suit Nickname:

Special Gear and Features: (Such as Shieldbits, Neural Link compatibility, Alaya-Vijana function, Psychoframe, ect)

Body Enhancements:

Special Gear (Personal):

History:

Faction Opinions: (What do you think of the various main factions?)

Earth Federation: (The central government of Earth, and the space colonies they control. They are a major player and powerhouse in human society)

Independent Colony Coalition: (Formed by the colonies that rose up and broke away from the Earth Federation. They are colonies that are further away from Earth, generally speaking past the asteroid belt)

Pirates: (Although many are divided, Pirates and Outlaws have their own various places that they come together in. Their raids and moving around is what stops any one side with more power from outright declaring war on the other, as the resulting war might leave them too weak and put them at the mercy of pirates)

Freesky: (A movement of people who oppose the opression used by many of the governments out of the claim of "Necessity", they are opposed to the various super soldier and child soldier programs in particular. They dont have any central base that is known, but they are considered a thron in the side of all the other factions. Although seen by many as "Do-gooders", there are a lot of questions about the groups true motives. Additionally, in recent years they have seen some setbacks)

Red Justice: (A terrorist group that also opposes the various injustices done by people, however they tend to be far more radical and violent. They have blown up government facilities even while civilians were inside, and have caused massive damage and destruction. They believe that each and every planet should be independently governed, and demand the breakup of all inter-planet organizations such as the Earth Federation and the ICC. However, despite this, their radical actions are seen by many to be a sign of their passion for what must be done to make things better, while many others view them as just a hateful murderous terrorist organization).

Skills:

Likes:

Dislikes:

Fears:

Strengths:

Weaknesses:

Other:


	2. Chapter 2: Hunted

**Chapter 2: Hunters**

"So, what route is this anyways?" Azo said as he was doing some maintence on the navigation systems, making it so they would properly recieve data without sending out their own. "Ive been asleep for awhile, so I assume the routes have changed?"

"Right now we are heading towards the Asteroid Belt".

"Wait, towards or away from Earth?"

"I assume you would probably want to put as much distance as you could between yourselves and the people who were going to experiment on you".

"That would be an accurate assumption" Azo replied. He was dressed in a simple T shirt and shorts, and didn't bother wearing any shoes. This ship was basically his home, so that wasn't too strange. He then activated the communicator on his wrist. "Yuki, you there?"

"Yeah...but the engine is kinda wonky".

"Wonky?"

"Every time I get near it, it starts screaming at me".

Crow and Azo both made faces when they heard that.

"Errr...did you say that it was screaming at you?"

"Yeah...its really weird. And there is all this new tech around".

"Son of a...Chichi?"

"Yes, Master Azo?"

"Is there any tech that those guys added that might mess with Newtypes?"

"There is an unusual emitter. It seems to be producing some unusual waves, but they seem harmless".

"Well, they are scaring Yuki. Shut them off".

"Understood, Master!"

Crow watched as the Haru rolled off.

"It doesn't bother you as much?"

"I did feel a bit tizzy, but I thought that might have been stasis sickness" Azo mentioned, as he finished wiring the panel. He then crawled out and sealed it up. "Yuki is more sensitive to that kind of stuff then me".

"Huh...anyways, we are heading for a neural colony that has been staying out of hte conflict, Caprica".

"It stayed neutral? And is there a war ongoing?"

"Well, that all depends on if you can really call it a war" Crow mentioned. "Officially, there is no war, but officially, they are treating each other as a hostile nation and wont tolerate each other in their territories. And naturally, their territory claims dont quite stay...seperate.

"In other words" Hawk said as she came onto the bridge. "Its more like a series of small skirmishes at the moment. Neither side is willing to openly declare war and be seen as the aggressor. Its entirely political and bueracratic nonesense".

"However, both sides have gotten pretty scummy. Even if the war is not full on, they are desperate to bolster their ranks. Child soldiers like yourself are common, not just with private military groups and pirates, but even the Federation and the ICC employ them. I cant even say that we are innocent on that account".

"So the oh so glorious Freesky employs child soldiers".

"Well, not like that. Its just, with our limited numbers, if they offer to join and help us, we are not in a position to refuse the help".

"I see" Azo mentioned.

"Thanks, Azo!" Yuki said over the radio, interrupting the conversation unknowingly.

"No problem. I will go start dinner, so you get the engine worked up while I cook. I am making curry".

"Yay!"

Azo then walked off the bridge, leaving Crow and Hawk to talk amongst themselves.

"They seem pretty mature for their age. They cant be older then ten, right?"

"Well, remember their growth was inhibited. Who is to say how old they actually are. Plus, if you count years in stasis, they are older then you, which is hard to do".

"Hey, I am not that old" he replied, looking over some files they managed to recover. Enhanced physical and mental abilities, strange extrasensory and advanced brainwaves, and so on.

"So, they were basically designed to be the perfect pilots then?"

"Yeah...guess the guys behind it failed though".

"I dont get it".

"I told you before, right? The fact is that if they were the perfect pilots, then only one of them would be needed to pilot the Gundam at full capacity. But instead, it needs both of them".

"Your saying that they are rejects?"

"Basically, yeah. Makes me wonder, if they are considered rejects, what does a completed version look like?"

* * *

"Thank you for coming to see us".

"Well, the advance you gave me helped, since if that is the advance, then the full payment must be exceptional" the woman said as she sat down in a booth at the local bar, with a man wearing a heavy dark coat across from her.

"Well, its only natural for such a famous bounty hunter, especially one of your skill Karumi Ifukube. These are the people we want you to target, two kill requests, the other two you can take alive if you think its possible".

She then was given four photos. All of them were headshots. One older man, one younger woman, and two boys. She didn't miss out on the details in the photo either.

"How are the two boys linked? It looks like they were naked, or at least shirtless, in these photos".

"They piloted a mobile suit and did heavy damage to a medical research facility. They killed several people, including a doctor. However, the Earth Federation does not make it a habit to kill kids if it can be avoided".

"I see...but you are saying these two kids piloted a mobile suit? How did they get that?"

"It was found in a derelict ship. There was medical technology on board, so it was asked to be examined. So, will you take the job?"

Karumi looked at the files she was given. Something bothered her about this job for sure. After all, it was the Earth Federation. Her opinion of them was pretty low. However, the news had already reported the terrorist attack on the medical facility, and he didn't feel like he was lying, at least not completely.

But they were hiding something, as they usually did. Still, this guy probably didn't know the truth at all, he was just a messenger, so questioning him would be pointless. And the fact is that these guys did attack a medical facility and cause a lot of damage. It wasn't something she could just write off.

"Very well. I will take the bounty".

* * *

"Ouch" Azo said as he was given a shot using a vaccination device by Crow. "Is this really necessary?"

"Hey, its this, or the medical tanks" he said, pointing to several glass tanks filled with liquid that could fit an entire person inside. "Honestly, you should be recieving this kind of treatment inside of those, it would be more effective, but..."

"You know very well there is no way me or Yuki are going back into a stasis device so soon after all that happened".

"Pretty much".

"Ouch!" Yuki said, as Crow then gave Yuki the shot in the arm.

"Hey, look at it this way. Years ago, there was not even a handy injection device. People had to stick needles into other people to do this, and apparently it was quite painful".

"Well, you know they still do use needles in some places, for some instances. Like when they need to go deep".

"Well, excuse me for liking the new stuff more".

"As an old man, shouldn't you be the one valueing the old stuff?"

"Shut up, I am not that old".

That was when Chichi rolled in.

"We are now approaching another debris belt!"

"Another?"

"With all the wars and conflicts that have gone on, there are a lot of asteroid fields and belts out there, as well a debris fields and belts. Actually, we are meeting up with the others in the next one. There is even a kid your age who will be there...now that I think about it, doesn't he also pilot a Gundam?"

"Ehhh?"

"That said...we are getting a bit low on fuel. I was thinking we would be fine, but to be safe, we could scavenge for fuel inside one of them".

"I agree. We might need the extra fuel if obstacles get in our way".

Azo looked at the display, and then Chichi.

"How is our fuel levels?"

"Given no emergencies happen, we should have sufficient fuel".

"...but that means if we encounter a blockade or hostile forces, we will be screwed. Alright. The Dauntless should have some barges we can use".

"You don't want to use the Duos?"

"The Duos would have systems that would help, but for fuel extraction...that would be difficult. We might ignite it with thrusters or such. Barges are safer. Crow, monitor things from the ship. The rest of us will go out and scavenge the field".

"Alright. Some of these wrecks look like their fuel tanks could still be in tact, so suit up and get ready".

And so, after putting on some space suits, the three of them took barges out to salvage for supplies.

* * *

Meanwhile, another ship approached them while using low power and radio silence. It had not been easy, but with some information from the Earth Federation, they were able to locate and follow The Dauntless, the ship that apparently they were using to flee. The ship that was following was The Endurance, and right now Karumi was planning her next move.

"Emilia, what do the scans say?"

"I have them at low power to not give ourselves away, but it looks like they are in the middle of a salvage operation. That said...there is a lot of debris, and they flew into the field already. We wont be able to shoot them from here, there is too much cover"

"I see. Then I should deploy in the Triezen then, take the fight to them directly?"

"Im not sure that is a good idea" their adotive daughter, Amy, mentioned. The fifteen year old pulled up some data. "We know they have at least one mobile suit. It appears something like this".

"That model...could it be a Gundam?"

"Yeah, but they were also said to have others. If you go in there blazing mom, the fight might go bad".

"Then should I go as well? I know how to operate a mobile suit" the twelve year old boy, Erin, mentioned.

"I will have to say no. The field is still too unpredictable. However, I might be able to get closer if I use the Triezen without being detected on their radar...anything else?"

"I am detecting faint pulse emitters. I think they are using barges to salvage the area".

"In that case, attacking now would be best. I can quickly attack and seperate them from their ship. They shouldn't be able to do too much given that the debris field is dangerous to them as well".

"Still though, to think they need fuel with such an advanced looking ship".

"I hear the Earth Federation messed with it. Its possible its main engines dont work right now. And it was a derelict".

"Pretty advanced for a derelict. Still, I am not sure..."

"It will be fine. I will be deploying now".

And so, she went down to the hanger and boarded her Triezen, setting off towards the group. She made sure to keep an eye on her optical sensors and radar, ensuring that she found them.

"Image is coming up now...it looks like, the woman, and the two children".

She was a bit dissapointed that these would be her enemies, but...the fact is they did attack a valuable and important medical facility.

However, the moment she got close, she felt uneasy, as one of the children looked back...and what seemed to be right at her.

"Hey, Yuki?" Azo said as the siphon finished draining the tank of fuel. "What is it?"

"Something...is out there".

Azo immediately put up his guard, having faith in Yuki and his words. "Where?"

"Behind some wreckage...getting closer...hostile..."

"Tsk. Chichi, Crow, you there?"

"Yeah? What is it?"

"Hostile incoming!"

"You sure? Nothing in on my sensors..."

"Yeah, we are! Hawk, get the barges back safely. Crow, Chichi, I want you to launch the Duos to our location now!"

"We have that function?!"

"Understood, Master Azo, Master Yuki! Commands Set. Automated Systems have now loaded Duos into Catapult launcher. Coordinates locked...and firing!"

Chichi operated the whole system for them, and sent out the Duos right towards them. They quickly went over as its thrusters auto-stopped it near them, and they quickly boarded.

* * *

"Emilia, Amy, Erin, did you catch that?"

"They both got in the mobile suit, right?"

"Yeah, and its powering up! Scanning machine, switching out of silence mode...its coming up as the Gundam Duos!"

* * *

"Hey, we got a read on the enemy mobile suit" Crow said, as he checked the datanet. "Wait, hold on..."

* * *

"Yuki, beam sword!"

"Prepared and ready" Yuki replied as Azo drew the beam sword and slashed at the mobile suit. However, the Triezen seemed unusually resistant to the damage.

"Guys, be careful..." Crow said, as one of the Triezen's hands emitted a beam saber. "Its a Gundam Model!"

Azo pulled away while Yuki activated Shield Bits to protect themselves and also to attack the enemy.

"Yuki, beam blaster!"

"Charged and ready!" Yuki announced as Azo switched to it and fired at her from a distance.

"They changed to ranged weaponry!" Karumi shouted.

"Alright, barges are back and fuel is loaded. Preparing my own model...what is the name of this one anyways?"

"Now that I think about it, its kind of fitting for you. Its name is Raven".

Meanwhile, across the way, Karumi was having her own issue. The Gundam Duos was seemingly able to anticipate her attacks and movements on some level, but when she tried to do the same, she kept getting headaches. One of them was a fellow newtype, she was sure about that, but...whenever she tried to peer into her mind, she got this weird feedback.

"Why the hell am I getting this feedback. Emilia?"

"Based on these readings...it looks like because you are trying to peer into two minds".

"Two minds?" she questioned, when she remembered that both boys entered the Gundam Duos. "Don't tell me, that thing is a two seater?!"

"What?! I have never heard of that before!"

"They must have neural links as well" Amy mentioned.

"So how is that set up then?"

"More then likely, one of them pilots the damn thing, while the other operates the equipment and power levels. THat is why those shield bits react so fast and the automatic defense system is having difficulty with them. Karumi, they are both piloting that Gundam!"

"Tsk" she said, when suddenly another beam shot came at her, causing some damage to the Triezen. ANother mobile suit had joined the battle, on their side. She decided to make the tactical decision to withdraw, since hte conditions were not favorable to her, but neither of the other mobile suits seemed willing to let her go that easily. However, they had no choice but to stop and evade when long ranged sniper fire came. She turned around, and saw a second mobile suit being piloted.

"Mom! Get back! I am covering you!" Erin mentioned, as the twelve year old boy used a beam rifle to lay down covering fire.

"I thought I told you not to enter the battle?"

"I hardly call this entering mom! I am staying by the hanger, using a long ranged weapon so you can get back and we can escape!"

Karumi sighed a little at his response. She couldn't really argue with that point, the actions he was taking this time were plenty safe and reasonable.

"Alright...thanks honey. Just please dont scare me like that".

"Well, I prefer you scared to being caught by those guys!" he said, as she rentered the hanger, and he followed suit. Once they were on, The Endurance decided to pull out of this fight, pulling back and escaping into the debris field away from them.

Azo meanwhile questioned something.

"I wonder who those guys were?"

"They seemed really mean!"

"Pretty sure those guys were bounty hunters. Illegal ones. We had better get a move on, because if one bounty hunter is after us, then that means others will soon be on the way as well".

Azo looked at his display, and then sighed.

"Yeah...we have places we need to be, after all".

Meanwhile, Crow just watched as they retturned.

"...now I am really terrified about what a complete one could be like".

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the original salvage site.

"We need to find anything else that might belong to that ship. Anything at all".

"Are you sure this ship is connected with it though?"

"Its the only other ship here. Its engines and life support got damaged, but we just got those repaired. And we have detected power in this chamber" one of the scientists said as he opened a door. Within that door was an ominous looking lab, but there was also another stasis unit. It was different from the previous one in appearance, as it was connected to the wall, but there was a child inside this one as well. A boy with silver hair, floating naked within the stasis unit.

"Look at this...its another child".

"Release the locks quickly. Open the stasis unit, and restrain him instantly" a scientist said, as they began the awakening and releasing measurement. Vital signs started to light up as the liquid began to drain in the tank. Once the tank was empty, the tubes that had been connected to all the various points on his body disengaged, and he fell to the ground. He gave off a bit of a groan.

"Quickly, restrain him now!" he told his subordinate, and so his subordinate listened. But once he got within ten feet of the boy, he froze.

"What are you doing?"

"Yeah, get him!"

"I...can't...move..." he muttered with all of his strength, when suddenly he held out a hand. The boy grabbed it, and pulled himself up.

"Stop moving" he said, and all the scientists found themselves unable to move. The naked boy then noticed a knife on the one closest to him, and took it wouthout any resistance. The others were starting to regain the ability to move.

"Ahhh, as expected, controlling multiple people at once is a pain" he said, as suddenly they could all move again. They immediately took out their firearm to shoot him, but he ran up to the first one and cut his throat. He then hopped onto another, wrapping his legs around his neck while shooting another of them. They fired back, but he fell back down and used the scientist as a shield. He then ducked around the falling corpse and stabbed another guy through the heart, while the last free scientist was shot by the guy he still had under his control. His blood splatted naked body surrounded by corpses.

"Ahhhh, its so good to be awake again. Kako, you here?"

Suddenly, a black Haru rolled out into the open.

"Hello, Master Yazarin".

"Hello. Tell me, why were they here, and what were they after?"

"They were planning to take you, enslave you, and then fight against Gundam Duos".

Those words resonated with him, as the silver haired boy sat down and croseed his legs while a joyful and sadistic smile went across his face.

"Ehhhhh...so Azo and Yuki survived then?"

"Yes! It appears those retched rejects are still around".

"Yes yes, I get you have your issue with them. Now, come on. Lets clean up the rest of this filth. Afterwards, I should probably find some clothes to wear" he said, as he did some knife tricks while walking down the hall, whistling.

Things had only just begun.


	3. Chapter 3: Beacon

**Chapter 3: Beacon**

"Blip. Blip. Blip".

"So its been going Blip, blip, blip?"

"Basically" Crow mentioned as they entered the bridge. "Anyways, I have no idea what it means. The system is totally encoded, and its not acting like it should".

"Right, well let me see" Azo mentioned as he checked the console. "Oh, its a distress beacon identification system!"

"Wait wait, hold on! Why is that encoded?!"

"Well, its not for general distress beacons!" Azo said as he opened up the program. "Looks like its for...wait, is this Boss' shuttle?"

"Boss? You mean the guy who created you?"

"No no, Boss was just his nickname...he was like me and Yuki, but...he specialized in Engineering, and ended up leading the engineering team! This is fantastic, we needed an engineer anyways!"

"You think he is still alive?"

"This beacon isn't for a spacecraft, its for a stasispod! And if its broadcasting, it has power!"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah! Chichi, pinpoint the location of the beacon!"

"Pinpointing...location detected, it appears to be in the middle of a debris field, created from a massive conflict one hundred years ago aproximately. Alert, the beacon has recently enhanced broadcasting as salvagers have started to go after the ship it is housed in".

"Crow, get us there! Chichi, send the data to Ops!"

"Understood!"

Ops. Also known as Operations Room, it is the room for which mobile suit deployment can be planned out. At the moment, it was Azo, Yuki, and Hawk were there.

"Looks like the boss' craft is surrounded by salvagers".

"I wonder why they decided to go after it now?"

"I may have an answer to that!" Chichi mentioned. "Ever since the activation of your pod, and this ship, we have been connecting with dorment systems which have started their reactivation, causing them to deploy more power and draw attention. Most likely, the communications beacon onbourd that ship, the Eclaire, was activated by our approach in this sector, and so the salvagers took notice of it and went to investigate".

"Hold on, comm beacons? How many exactly?"

"A total of twenty two comm beacons have been reactivated. This is about 7% of the total network, but it should be growing by the day".

"...just what sort of organization was this to lace this many comm beacons around the system without anyone noticing this network before?"

"Anyways, bringing the data up now, there is a total of five mobile suits guarding the area. We have three Sniper Types, appear to be modified GMIIs, with one modified GMIII".

"And the others?"

"We have a Leo that looks like its gone through more patchjobs then a one hundred year old ship, and some type I am currently unable to get data on".

"Hold on, we should be linked into the modern Gundam recognition software right?"

"Yes, but only models that have been revealed to the public are listed...which means this is either a newer model, or it was built from scratch".

"Well, its possible the enemy is some sort of covert ops, but we have a much bigger issue right now".

Azo brought up the data on the area of engagement.

"There is very little cover. There is some debris, and a few large pieces, but otherwise those things will have clear sights on us all the way there once we are in the area".

"And they are all sniper types, which means they all can pretty much decimate us before we get close".

"Doesn't the Duos have I-Fields?"

"It does, but I-Fields are not omnipotent. Spectrum Distortion can allow it to pierce I-Fields, and sniper types have the best penetration ability. Furthermore, not all of those snipers are beam weapons".

Hawk took a look at some of hte specs. "Damn, are those Escalon's Piledriver Rifles?"

"Yeah, and that one has a railgun. Basically the stepping stone between beam and bullet, it will fire solid rounds at an incredibly high velocity".

"Even with the Duos, this is far from ideal" Chichi mentioned. "It will take Azo's quick reflexes and Yuki's precognition to even get close, but so many things could go wrong".

"Then, do we just do nothing?"

"No...what we need...is something big".

"Something big?"

* * *

"Come on? How hard is it to power up this wreck so we cna get inside without tripping all the damn security?" Regis asked, annoyed as he tapped the instruments of his mobile suit, the GMIII.

"We are working as hard as we can boss, but we need some good, fresh labor".

"Hmmm...maybe we should go pay for some more of those brats from Neverland. I hear they have a good crop of slaves this year. The preteens especially seem capable, so they might even make for more then decent canon fodder".

"Hehehe, fine by me. Maybe some of them will even show promise to be promoted for a change".

"Sir, I think we are close to penetrating through the inner layer!" he said, when suddenly the ship's bulkheads began to seal. "The hell?!"

That was when Regis got an alert from the sensors on his ship.

"Sir! A ship just entered the area, and there is a massive object flying towards us at high speeds!"

"Its...a huge chunk of spacecraft!?"

As that surprised them, one of the GMIIs got hit badly and was taken out in an instant.

It was thanks to Hawk, piloting the Shadowfang, one of the mobile suits they had in storage. It was a stealth based mobile suit, with both close and long ranged weaponry and high level data analysis and scanning gear. It appeared to be a custom model, as it did not appear to be based on any other model from what Crow or Hawk could tell.

"Wait, there is something...ahg!" the other GMII said as it dodged the flying wreckage, and was summarily cut in half.

Azo meanwhile looked back at Yuki, who didn't look so well.

"You okay Yuki?"

"...these people's thoughts are disgusting...".

"...got it. Ill just go and kill them all then" Azo replied, giving a cold stare at them from inside the cockpit.

"We have enemy mobile suits! Two in total! Jim and Reagon are both down!"

"Damnit! Take them out, now!"

They all began to fire at them, with the unknown mobile suit firing some sort of rapid fire long range rifle at the Duos. Yuki deployed shield bits to defend, while using offensive bits to attack and suppress their fire. All of the fighting was producing a huge amount of warning lights. And then, as they approached the black mobile suit, it suddenly disappeared.

"What the..."

"Azo, to the right!"

Azo barely drew the sword in time to parry the attack of the black mobile suit that had moved into close range. However, several gunports opened on its arm and unloaded fire right into the Duos, dealing some pretty bad damage.

"This mobile suit...its definently a high quality model!" Azo realized, as Hawk fired on the Leo and GMIII to keep them busy, and hopefully even take one out. In the meantime, Crow engaged the enemy ship in ship to ship combat.

The black mobile suit suddenly took out two swords, and came at them while also firing various mounted cannons on its sides. The Duos was able to dodge, but this guy was not normal.

Regis meanwhile smiled.

"Yeah, thats right! Crush that brat! Or else you will die yourself!"

Yes, inside of the black mobile suit was no ordinary human. A child of maybe thirteen or fourteen years old was inside, with no mechanism to send any communications. Furthermore, his mobile suit only opened from the outside, so even if he was not currently restrainted with metal clamps to the chair, he couldn't escape. Not that it would help when his mobile suit had no space suit inside of it, and he was not wearing one either. And then of course, there was the collar around his neck that would kill him the moment he tried to escape, fight against them, or anything like that. In fact, the entire mobile suit was basically developed around the idea of keeping in him here long term. Rather then wearing clothing, he was naked, with things attached to his body. Things to deal with excreted waste, to deliver him nuitrients, to pump him with adreniline if he started to fall asleep when they did not want him to.

That entire mobile suit was his prison, and every fight was win or die. That was Ilya's fate.

And this was what was making Yuki feel so sick. He could sense what they had done, what they did to others. He could sense the deaths that had occured inside of that mobile suit, the amount of blood shed. Ilya was not the first to pilot that mech, he wasn't even in the first ten. That thing was nothing more then a bloody prison that took advantage of people. And with no way to call for help, all he could do is fight, and win. Or else he would die, and another would take his place. The fact that he was a Coordinator helped, but this was probably the toughest fight he had ever had.

"Come on brat, kill that guy already, unless you want to die!"

As Regis told him that, Azo looked back at Yuki, who was clearly not himself. He was out of sync.

"Yuki, our combat ability is way too low".

"Its just...cant you feel it...the blood and sadness coming from that black one".

"Yeah, a little...why?"

"Its so overwhelming...its full of people, asking us to save the pilot".

"...Yuki, are you okay? What are you saying exactly?"

"...there is so much blood inside that cockpit...I cant decide..."

That was when Azo picked up on it. Yuki was having a hard choice. He wanted to save boss, but he did not want to hurt the pilot in front of him.

"That pilot...is he being forced to fight against his will?"

"...all of them fought...all of them died...even when the machine itself was at fault...they didn't want this..."

Azo squeezed his controls in anger. Not many things really got underneath Azo's skin, but the idea he was getting about what Yuki was talking about made him sick to his stomach.

"Alright Yuki, then lets be heroes...and save everyone" he told him. "Both this pilot, and boss".

"WHO THE HELL SAID I NEEDED SAVING" a loud boy's voice screamed over the intercomms, surpising them both.

"Wait, is that...Boss?!"

"Boss, is that really you?!"

"YEAH, ITS ME!"

"Yeah, its him..."

"Muuu, boss! Please stop shouting into the comm systems!"

"Yes please...also, how are you talking right now? You should be in the stasis unit" Azo asked.

"Well, when the bulkheads were sealed, emergency life support was activated, and emergency stasis awakening was activated" Boss mentioned. "Which gave us plenty of time to get to the hanger, and get in my personal machine".

"Wait, us?"

As he said that, sensors indicated a massive transfer of power to the hanger, and a single mobile suit was raised from the hanger to the outer hull. It was bulkier then the Duos, and orange and brown instead of red, white, and blue. At the same time, a screen appeared on their display, showing Boss, who appeared to be a twelve year old boy with well built muscles, and a shorter boy around the same age wearing goggles and nothing else laying across his lap, a bit red in the face. Both of them were quite naked, and still a bit wet.

"Atsuki-kun!"

"A-kun, Yu-kun!" Atsuki replied, his blonde hair shimmering as his blue eyes widened with delight.

"So thats why the stasis unit was sending weird signals, you two were also in stasis together!" Azo mentioned, as he dodged another attack from the Black Mobile Suit.

Chichi then chimed in, appearing as a hologram in the Boss' mobile suit.

"I would like to inform you there are two spacesuits in the back of..."

"We know, but we dont have time to put them on in the middle of a battle! Azo and Yuki seem to need some help!"

"Boss, the pilot of that mobile suit..."

"Yeah, I heard. I just did a high density scan. That thing has absolutely no pilot safety measures. The mech itself is tough, but the pilot is at the mercy of so many things. Even our mobile suits were made to be more merciful...so you wanna save him right?"

"Pretty much".

"Alright then. How about you deal with that Leo and GMIII. Looks like the Shadowfang's pilot is not used to her, though I suppose they are doing a decent job. Just leave the black mobile suit to me...thats a bit wordy...lets call it Deathprison...no...Deathpeon. Me and Atsuki will deal with it".

"Rodger that!"

"...and we will also have a long talk later about the state of the Gundam Duos".

"...please have mercy! Its just the two of us, with two others we picked up along the way!"

"...we will see about that later. Now, Forgemaster, launching!"

The mobile suit, Forgemaster, used its heavy thrusters at high speed. If they were in planetary orbit or on the surface, that mobile suit likely would not go so fast due to resistances, but with no resistance in empty space, bigger engines meant faster movement, regaurdless of size.

The Deathpeon tried to go after the Gundam Duos, but Forgemaster intercepted it easily, one of its arms becoming a clamp that locked down on the mobile suit hard, while various minature drones emerged from ports that opened up and crawled onto the Deathpeon.

Regis, who saw this, got annoyed. It appeared that the mobile suit was trapped, and they were trying to do something with it. He was not sure what, but given the turning of the tide for this battle, he decided to cut his losses, activate the self destruct, and at least take some of them with him.

Meanwhile, Ilya watched as the red light that indicated the self destruct had been primed went on, and realized this was going to be the moment in which he dies. And so, the trigger clicked...and nothing happened?

Regis looked at annoyance and disbelief. "What?!"

Meanwhile, Boss grinned with mischief as he watched the drones do their work.

"Self destruct mechanism. Disabled. Remote Access module, disconnected. Controls, also disconnected" he muittered as the drones that crawled around the black mobile suit did their work, disabling and destroying any way for Regis to trigger any of the mechanisms that could kill Ilya. Regis hit every button, put in every command he could think of, but...nothing would respond to him. He had lost all connection to the mobile suit.

And in that anger, he failed to get away before the Duos cut him off, while the Nightfang appeared behind him and the Leo, tearing through the Leo easily.

"Did you really think you would be allowed to escape, after everything you did?" Azo asked, as he drew the sword.

"No, please! Wait! I will give you anything! Just dont...dont kil..." he begged, before Azo cut through his mobile suit with the sword.

"Final enemy dealt with. Crow, how is it on your end?"

"Enemy ship is pulling back, but I gave it a good beating. They shouldn't be harassing anyone anytime soon".

"In that case, lets pull back to the Dauntless and get out of here. Boss, welcome to the ship".

"Sounds good, but lets make sure we salvage as much as we can from the Sylvanna before we go. There is some useful stuff in her".

"Alright".

* * *

"You really weren't kidding" Boss mentioned as they ate some lunch in the hanger bay. He and Atsuki were wearing some engineers overalls, while Azo and Yuki were currently wearing engineering jumpsuits. They were all barefoot as they sat on some crates. "Its just you two, plus that old man and the woman. By the way...you do realize Crow and Hawk are likely not their real names right?"

"Of course, but I have command of the ship, and they did save our lives and all. Right Chichi?"

"Right, Master Azo!"

"Ahh, Chichi. Please to be speaking with you again" he said, as he held a Haro in his hands. It was light blue, but currently inactive.

"Is that..."

"Yamu? Yeah. Looks like he used all of his power to keep the emergency life support systems operational after the ship became a wreck, and coded in the emergency awakening and bulkhead doors to operate".

"You think you can save him?"

"It will take time to restore him without losing him, but it looks like his memory core still is in tact and remained lightly powered. It should be possible to restore him eventually".

"This reminds me of old times" Yuki said, kicking his feet happily in the air.

"Ha! If it was old times, you two would be bare ass naked, and id be shouting at you two for being so useless".

"Hey! We were not useless!"

"Oh yeah? Well, the Duos is definently going to need some proper work done on her sooner or later, if you keep running her the way you have. How many defensive systems are you running to compensate?"

"...as many as we need".

"Just as I thought".

Yuki then looked at the orange mobile suit that looked really decked out.

"But you have the Forgemaster right? With this, you can patch Duos up right and good!"

"Wrong" Boss replied, shaking his head. "I can do some good work, but the Forgemaster is good for mid-battle repair and technician work, and emergency refits. In short, its only good for short term work. To do the long term work needed to properly maintain these mobile suits, I will need an entire team. And not anyone old either. I need fresh talent, newborn babes that I can work into shape".

"Ahhh...I already feel bad for whoever you plan on recruiting".

"Why cant they be old though?"

"Older means stuck in their ways, stubborn, annoying. The technolocy in our mobile suits and in the Dauntless are different, designed differently, then this modern stuff. Sure, it can be figured out, but...I need raw, fresh talent to train. They need to be young enough to not have any serious loyalties yet".

"So basically, you want to rebuild your old pit crew" Azo mentioned, thinking back on those days. Those who did not become pilots like Azo and Yuki did were often delegated to other matters, such as Engineering. They were not going to waste their investments after all, all the resources they used. But Boss knew they needed a crew sooner, rather then later, so rather then searching across the solar system for everyone, he wanted to set up a crew now. A crew of capable children he could teach. Whose loyalty would not be to any nation. People who he could mold.

"Oh, maybe we could go after that one place that guy mentioned. Neverland?" Yuki asked, remembering some communications they intercepted.

"Thats right...he said there were capable boys that could be bought from that place, Neverland. Sounded like slavery or something".

"If the conditions are like what Ilya was in, they probably should be saved anyways".

"Well then, isn't this the optimal situation" the boss said with a smile. "A large group of capable children who need to be rescued? Who will of course have no where else to go after being saved most likely? Sounds like we can get what we need and be heroes at the same time".

"You...definently should save them...anything would be better then that..." a fifth, fragile voice called out. The group turned around, and saw the boy, Ilya, wearing a jumpsuit as well. He didn't come in with any clothing, so after putting the collapsed Ilya in a medical bed to recover, they had put one that should fit him. However, even though he was up, he still looked weak. He was leaning against a support beam in the hanger.

"You damn idiot!" Boss yelled, running over to him. "You should not be up in your condition!"

"What was wrong with him anyways?" Azo asked.

"This is the first time he has stood up in over a month, and the drugs they were using on him had some nasty side effects. This guy might be a strong fighter inside a mobile suit, but outside of one, he is super weak".

"Ah..." Azo said, as he and Yuki helped carry him over to their little makeshift meeting area, Atsuki using a nearby fire blanket as a makeshift pillow.

"Thanks..."

"Yeah...no problem, Ilya".

"Also...if you don't mind...could I stick around for awhile...I dont have anywhere to go either".

As he said that, Ilya ended up crying...but rather then a sad cry, he was smiling for some reason.

"...and I don't think I have ever had this much hope, or felt this good...in a long time..."

Azo, seeing that, remembered something else...a boy, a different boy...who also talked about having hope.

"Sure...welcome to the crew, Ilya. Now, how about you start telling us about this Neverland place".

Little did anyone know at the time, about the impact they would have on the future, and about the beacon of hope they would become.


End file.
